How Can Love Be Compromised

That morning, while shopping with my best friend, we unexpectedly ran into Harvey Collins, cool and evercomposed, at the Chanel counter.

He was buying the haute couture dress I had painstakingly ordered weeks ago.

By evening, that same dress made its debut on Harvey's female secretary.

I chose not to make a scene, merely smiling with a playful air.

After all, I could single handedly buy out every Chanel store in the city if I wished. I had no need for him to buy me anything, not even once.

That night, my best friend, ever loyal, drafted a divorce agreement for me.

I had wealth, beauty and charm, the last thing I needed was a man.

At the company’s annual gala, I held a glass of red wine, laughing effortlessly as I mingled with the CEOs of the group's branches, radiating confidence and elegance.

As the music started, the dance floor gradually became lively.

Harvey arrived late with his female secretary.

I saw with my own eyes that he was helping Stephanie Dalton adjust the position of her beautiful breasts at the door.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, his eyes were full of doting and he was very satisfied with his work.

Harvey had always had a unique vision. After his adjustments, the refinement of Stephanie's face was instantly raised to a higher level.

It barely matched her couture Chanel outfit.

At that moment, all my fantasies were shattered.

When I saw Harvey walking out of the counter in the morning, I thought he was picking up the dress for me and my heart was filled with happiness.

I even had my makeup artist do a look to match the dress.

Until the last moment before the annual meeting started, he did not send the dress home.

I called him specifically and asked him in a tentative tone if he had anything to give me.

He said a few perfunctorily that he was busy with work, but I still caught a sweet female voice in his words.

“Mr. Collins, will Mrs. Collins be unhappy if she finds out?”

“Don't worry about that Stephanie.”

I suddenly realized that my man was no longer so pure.

Stephanie tilted her face up and smiled sweetly at me. Her sweet dimples looked particularly familiar.

“Hello, Mrs. Collins. You look so beautiful tonight.”

In response to her compliment, my eyes turned a little colder and I looked her up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Your dress is nice. It's the same style as the one I ordered.”

As a college student who had just graduated in less than a year, she could not afford highend clothing worth nearly 30,000 dollars.

So, Stephanie felt very uncomfortable when I looked at her. She pursed her lips, twisted her hands nervously and kept looking at Harvey.

Harvey met my gaze, his face as calm as usual.

“Claudine, don't get me wrong. Stephanie said she has never attended such a grand annual meeting, nor has she ever worn a highend dress. Since she works hard and is ambitious, I bought her a set.”

I raised my eyebrows and nodded, then winked at the assistant beside me.

The next second, a row of thirteen Chanel salesmen dressed in welltailored work clothes appeared.

They walked into the hall holding a dress of the same style and came in front of Harvey.

Harvey looked at me puzzledly.

I folded my arms, leaned against a carved pillar beside me and a playful smile appeared on the corner of my mouth,

“Pay the bill, please. All thirteen CEOs present here have their own secretaries and they are all very hardworking and motivated. CEO Collins won't be partial to one and only favor his own secretary, right?”

Stephanie knew that I was trying to embarrass her in front of others and the color drained away from her face in an instant, even her voice sounded like crying.

"Mrs. Collins, please don't make things difficult for Miss Collins. It's all my fault. I'll return the clothes right away."

Her words dripped with an air of selfrighteousness, painting me as the unreasonable villain tearing apart a pair of starcrossed lovers.

“Stephanie, right? You think too much. It's just thirteen sets of clothes. It's not a big deal.

“Harvey has always had people picking on him when he eats fish since he was a child. It's normal for him to not know what it means for a man to give clothes to a girl.

“But as his personal secretary, you should be more sensible than him in life, don't you know that?”

Stephanie lowered her head in panic and apologized repeatedly.

Harvey had an extremely superior appearance, background, career and outstanding abilities. He became a shining star in the first half of his life.

Absolutely, there were countless women who adore him.

He had always maintained his integrity and independence over the years, so the people who tried to get close to him often only saw his cold and distant eyes.

In the past, he held me in his arms and whispered softly in my ears on countless nights.

He said that I was the most precious thing to him.

But then everything changed.

I saw in his eyes the pain he felt for another woman.

Harvey shook his head and smiled, then took out a black card from his pocket and handed it to the leading salesperson.

He strolled over to me, his movements deliberate and unhurried, before slipping an arm around my waist.

His gaze softened as his eyes locked with mine, brimming with affection that might have fooled anyone watching.

In a low, lighthearted tone, he murmured, “It’s just a dress. I didn’t think you’d take it so seriously. Sure, it’s fine to scare a little girl, but I’d hate for you to fall ill over something so trivial.”

His casual humor brushed the incident aside effortlessly, steering attention away from Stephanie with practiced ease.

A smirk played on my lips as I looped my slender fingers around his tie, tugging him closer, inch by inch, until our breaths mingled.

“Stephanie is interested in you,” I whispered, my voice calm but laced with steel. “You’re a smart man; I’m sure you’ve noticed. I know thirty thousand means nothing to you, but let me make this clear, what happened today is the first time and it better be the last.”

The onlookers, oblivious to the tension, mistook our exchange for a romantic moment and erupted in cheers.

Under the weight of my gaze and the nearness of my breath, Harvey’s usually composed demeanor faltered. A flush crept up his cheeks and cracks formed in his steady facade.

He frowned awkwardly, murmuring, “Claudine, don’t do this. What will our subordinates think if they see us? Stephanie and I are strictly superior and subordinate, nothing more. Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

I snorted softly, loosening my grip on his tie.

It would have been easy to humiliate him further, but doing so would tarnish my own reputation.

Satisfied with having made my point, I decided to let the matter rest, at least for that moment.

After all, I had no hard evidence of their ambiguity.

Then, I took his arm and walked to the stage to give an annual summary of that year's brilliant achievements.

The other branch secretaries, ever perceptive and quickwitted, paraded their newly acquired dresses in front of Stephanie with a purposeful flair.

“Thank you, Stephanie! If it weren’t for you, I’d probably never have the chance to wear such an expensive dress in my lifetime,” one remarked, her tone sweet but dripping with mockery.

“In Mr. Collins’s world, gifting a dress is no more significant than handing out candy to a child. Surely, you wouldn’t have any improper thoughts about him, would you?” another added, her words a thinly veiled jab.

“Stephanie, those eyes and dimples of yours, they’re so strikingly similar to Mrs. Collins. No wonder President Collins holds you in such high regard,” someone chimed in, her smile sharp and deliberate.

One by one, their sneers deepened, their seemingly lighthearted comments carrying unmistakable warnings, leaving no doubt about their true intentions.

Stephanie was afraid since she had never been humiliated like that in her life. As a result, she lowered her head lower and lower, feeling ashamed.

As tears fell to the ground, she ran out with red eyes when the crowd dispersed.

Finally, the annual meeting was over.

After dinner, we tactfully left early, allowing the young employees to truly relax and enjoy their evening.

But, as soon as I got into the car, I discovered that my passenger seat had been moved.

There were also some cute anime beauties pasted on the four corners of the sun visor cover.

Except for me, no one dared to use Harvey as a driver and no one dared to sit in the passenger seat.

But, it was so easy to guess who did it.

A sudden, inexplicable fire surged within me, its intensity catching me off guard.

Though I did not want to admit it, at that moment, I was utterly consumed. Even my scalp prickled and my thoughts spiraled into chaos.

I had turned a blind eye when Harvey gave a Chanel dress to Stephanie, choosing to let it slide for the sake of peace.

But then, she had dared to leave her mark in my private space, a blatant act of provocation.

In five years of marriage, I had never felt anger as raw as that. Every nerve in my body screamed for retribution.

I wanted to raise my hand and slap Harvey across the face, shove him out of the car and drive straight to Stephanie to deliver two hard slaps of her own.

But, when I opened my mouth, ready to confront him, the sharp ring of his phone interrupted me.

Harvey did not notice my angry face at all and answered Stephanie's call slowly.

As I started to adjust my seat irritably and then I heard him say, “Okay, don't worry, I'll be there soon.”

My hand paused and I slowly looked up at him.

Harvey frowned slightly, “Stephanie is returning the dress at the counter, but she doesn't have the receipt. I have to go there.”

Then, he continued, “Claudine, I'll call the driver to pick you up. You go home first.”

I said in disbelief, “You're going to leave me behind just for this little thing?”

“Claudine, please don't make it difficult for me. Stephanie has a strong sense of selfesteem. You made her cry until her voice became hoarse. Now she wants to return the dress.”

“Is she being spoiled, or is she deliberately provoking me in front of you? Can’t she come and get it herself?” I asked sharply, my voice tight with barely suppressed anger.

Harvey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if I were the one being unreasonable.

“Claudine, is it really necessary to make things hard for a newcomer? When did you start bullying others? You weren’t like this before.”

His words hit me harder than I expected, extinguishing my anger in an instant and replacing it with a wave of crushing disappointment.

And then, as if caught in the absurdity of it all, I suddenly found it funny. How effortlessly he turned the blame onto me, shielding her while leaving me out in the cold.

“I am bullying others by taking advantage of my power? Harvey, you have never defended other women in front of me, including your mother. This is the first time.”

A hint of incomprehension appeared on Harvey's stern face.

“We already agreed when we got married that for the sake of the reputation of the Rodrigo and Collins families, you wouldn't flirt with other women and I wouldn't hang out in nightclubs. Are you going to break the rules for that woman?”

Harvey's eyes were deep and cold when he heard that.

After thinking for a long time and finally called the family driver.

Finally, he leaned over to unbuckle my seat belt, his tone calm and measured.

“Claudine, you’ve always been so dominant. But we’re husband and wife, not just strategic partners. Can’t you, for once, put work aside and be like other wives, rely on me, trust me and maybe even obey me a little?”

Then, as if delivering a judgment, he added, “After dealing with Stephanie’s matter, I’ll go back to the Collins Family manor for the night. We both need some time to calm down.”

Oh, how convenient, a retreat masked as resolution. So that was his way of showcasing his masculine charm to other women.

It was laughable, really.

It was the same man who once claimed to admire my sharp, decisive nature, praising my independence as if it were his greatest treasure.

But then, he was tired of it. Bored, even.

And instead of owning up to his own failings, he cloaked them in noble excuses and shifted the blame squarely onto me. As if I were the problem all along.

I got out of the car tactfully and watched the black Maybach drive out of my sight.

I gave him a chance, but he did not know how to cherish it.

I picked up my phone and called my best friend.

“Claire, help me draft a divorce agreement,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil brewing inside me.

I did not truly want to take that step. After all, the Collins and Rodrigo families had a bond that spanned generations, their elders being old friends.

Harvey and I had been childhood sweethearts once, our lives intertwined from the start.

But things changed when he went abroad to study. For nearly a decade, we drifted apart, losing all contact.

The next time we met was at a banquet where the two families were preparing for a marriage.

He was polite and handled questions raised by his elders with ease.

Over the years, in addition to dealing with the affairs of the group, I had often hung out in nightclubs looking for male models to relieve stress.

I had assumed that after so many years apart, our reunion would be marked by awkwardness and unfamiliarity.

To my surprise, when we were alone, I discovered that beneath Harvey’s calm demeanor lay a witty, humorous soul.

It was as though the years melted away, instantly rekindling the warmth and connection of our youth.

We admired each other deeply, both of us flourishing in the early stages of our careers.

It was not long before admiration blossomed into something more, leading to our engagement and, eventually, our marriage.

After tying the knot, our bond extended beyond the personal, each of us held shares in the other’s company, forging an unprecedented alliance between the Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group.

But then, as I contemplated divorce, the reality of untangling such deeply intertwined assets loomed over me. The division of property would be anything but simple.

After returning home, I washed up, drank a glass of hot milk and prepared to go to sleep.

The phone received a good night message from Harvey, plus a cute kiss expression.

Even in a cold war, he would do what he should do thoroughly.

The next morning when I went to work, I was almost knocked down by a yellowhaired young man downstairs of the company.

My Hermès Himalaya slammed to the ground and a piece of skin was scraped off.

The breakfast coffee in the young man's hand drew an arc and spilled onto the hem of my cashmere coat.

Seeing that, the two security guards at the door immediately trotted over. They also were scolding the young man for being blind.

The young man, clearly startled, hastily picked up my bag and handed it to me, his hands trembling with panic.

He then fumbled to pull out a tissue, trying to wipe the stain off the hem of my clothes.

When it became clear the stain would no't come off, his anxiety deepened and he knelt in front of me, bowing his head and begging for forgiveness.

It was winter and he was dressed only in a thin coat and sunglasses, but even so, they could not mask the bruises beneath his eyes.

I frowned, trying to push aside my own discomfort.

After that, I looked at the stained hem of my coat but felt no anger. My focus shifted to the bag, wiping it carefully with concern.

It happened to be seen by Harvey, who was used to going to work at the same time as me.

The Collins Group and the Rodrigo Group were separated by only one street.

So I could see he stood opposite, watching quietly on the scene. His face was cold and serious.

For the first time, I saw disgust in his eyes. Perhaps in his eyes, my condescending attitude was also a form of bullying.

I ignored his misunderstanding, took two steps back, reached out to stop the security guard who was coming, grabbed the young man's arm and pulled him up from the ground.

“I don't know what difficulties you've encountered, but you should be cautious. Not everyone will show you the same patience that I have.”

The young man kept apologizing and thanking me while picking up the garbage on the ground.

In the end, he ran away in a panic.

At the corner of the office building, he turned around suddenly, with an ambiguous smile on his lips.

I then returned to my office, sat at my desk and examined the damaged bag.

In fact, the abrasion area was not large and it could not even be seen if you did not look carefully.

But once the flaw appeared, it was destined to no longer be perfect.

Because it was precious enough, even such a minor flaw would be extremely difficult to repair.

Even though, in fact, what was more difficult to repair was the relationship between Harvey and me.

The way he looked at me in the morning was still like a thorn in my heart. What was more, I always had our lunch prepared by Collins and he came over to eat with me.

So, I just expect nothing about that day.

Later in the afternoon, when it was finally one o'clock, I believed he would not come.

But just as I opened the lunch box I ordered before, he came. Stephanie followed behind him.

Her eyes were red and swollen and she kept her head down, looking respectful and weak.

I put down my spoon and just watched them quietly.

As Harvey sat down next to me, he sighed.

“Because of what happened last night, Stephanie was targeted and excluded everywhere in the company.”

After hearing his complaint, I picked up the spoon and scooped myself some soup without even raising my eyelids.

“What's wrong? She's the CEO's secretary, can't she handle such a small matter?”

Harvey directly argued, “I just want you to take care of your people and stop making things difficult for a little girl like her.”

Due to an implicit business rule, we each had our own people in the other's company.

What Harvey meant was that my people were deliberately targeting Stephanie to stand up for me.

Last night’s annual meeting, which was a joint event between the two groups with nearly all employees in attendance, would inevitably lead to Stephanie being criticized for her actions.

I stirred the spoon and took a sip of the soup, before answering, “First, I did not instruct anyone to target or exclude your secretary. You should know that is not my method or style.

“Secondly, if anyone is to blame for what happened to her today, it's her own lack of sense of propriety and boundaries.

“Harvey, you still don't understand human nature well enough. Your tolerance and indulgence towards her will sooner or later create more enemies for her. It's you who will harm her, not me.”

Stephanie, who had been silent all this time, suddenly took two steps forward and spoke anxiously, “Please don’t be mad at Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins.

“I was indeed inconsiderate about what happened yesterday. It was the first time I received such an expensive gift and I was so happy that I offended you. I apologize.”

I was stunned for a moment and laughed, “Harvey, your secretary is really interesting. She is indeed brave to protect his Boss more than anyone else.”

I did not accept Stephanie's insincere apology, nor did I step forward to stop my people from targeting her.

As a result, Stephanie's grievances and tears hurt Harvey's nerves.

He lost control of his emotions for the first time, got angry at me and smashed the soup bowl at my feet.

He also asked me to apologize to Stephanie.

But I did nothing wrong, why should I apologize?

In the end, Harvey and I parted on bad terms.

That afternoon, Harvey took Stephanie on a business trip and left that place of trouble.

While I just enjoyed my time hanging out with my best friend in the evening. She complained that I was living too smartly.

That was why a silly beauty like Stephanie caught Harvey's eye.

However, my current attitude was shaped by the weight of past memories.

My mother passed away when I was young and my father never remarried.

From an early age, I was groomed to be the successor in my family, carrying the responsibility of securing our future.

Because of that, I learned early on that softness and vulnerability were obstacles to my progress.

For thirty years, I adhered firmly to the principle.

At first, I thought Harvey would understand, but instead, it drained him and eventually, he stopped loving me.

But that was fine. I never truly loved him either. I had no desire for what was never meant to be mine.

“I went to Collins Group today to take a look at this secretary. At first glance, she looks like your figure, especially her eyes and dimples. They look a lot like you.

“I really don't understand what's going on in Harvey's mind. He doesn't care about the real you, but instead tries to please a fake one. Does he love you or not?” Claire asked in confusion.

I indeed felt a sense of familiarity as if there was a mountain mist between us when I first met Stephanie.

So, I sneered, “Who knows? Maybe the fake one is more gentle, considerate and understanding.”

Since I had a bad headache after that, Claire decided to take me home.

She was afraid that I would feel uncomfortable, so she drove very slowly throughout the journey.

“The divorce agreement has been drafted. When are you going to tell Harvey about it?” she asked in the middle of the journey.

I directly answered without thinking, “Maybe in the middle of the month. He will definitely come back to have dinner with his grandfather.”

In the middle of every month, we would return to the Collins Family’s old house without fail to have a simple meal with the elderly, so it was the perfect time to discuss it.

Divorce with Harvey was no small matter. So, I had to take advantage of the time to reserve all possible escape routes for myself.

Stephanie had been busy updating her Instagrams several times a day.

From the photo with the domineering boss, work overtime with him until late at night and stand together on the most magnificent building in the city and overlook the earth.

She also wrote that it was her first time to experience skydiving, her first time to feel the real underwater world and her first time to see the beauty of the aurora.

The experiences and surprises from the business trip brought her were things she would never be able to achieve in her entire life.

But in the past, I was the only one who accompanied Harvey to do those things.

So, the way my colleagues looked at me was cautious but sympathetic at that moment.

Harvey conceded that Stephanie was using that method to disgust me.

However, if it was really true, it was really murderous and heartbreaking.

For several days, it was only Claire who lived and ate with me, assisting with the legal affairs department in handling the financial division issues with Harvey.

One day, she stormed into the office holding a file bag and grumbled, “Claudine, Harvey is really too much.”

I was in the middle of signing a business document when I heard that. So, I simply looked up, only to find Claudine on the verge of exploding with anger.

“What's wrong? Is he back?”

Claudine slapped the file bag on the desk. There was a USB and several photos of Harvey and Stephanie lying in the hotel's couple suite slid out.

Harvey was shirtless, with an ambiguous red mark on his chest that was particularly eyecatching.

Finally, she answered my question, “The person hasn't come back yet, but the nude photos have.”

My straight shoulders slowly drooped and my heart felt like it was being held captive by something, causing waves of pain.

With slightly trembling fingers, I picked up the USB and inserted it into the laptop in front of me.

At dusk, on the openair balcony on the top floor of the hotel, Harvey held Stephanie's face and looked at her almost obsessively.

Behind them was the sky dyed orange by the setting sun.

The sunset glows like a weave and the lovers embrace each other, just like a moving picture spread across the sky.

When the two were about to kiss, I raised my hand and closed the laptop.

I trembled uncontrollably when I asked, “Who sent it?”

“It was sent by courier and received by the front desk,” Claire directly answered with anger in her face.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Only after I meticulously put the photos back into the file bag and put them in the drawer did I regain my composure.

“Don't make this public. Find out who sent the package.”

But Claire directly gave me a clue, “Who else could it be? It must be that shameless Stephanie, who is crazy about getting promoted.”

I also thought about it at first, since the angle of the video looked like a candid shot rather than a staged one.

But whoever the person was, I had one conclusion. It was not a business trip, but their honeymoon.

Fortunately, tomorrow was the middle of the month. It was the perfect time to put an end to all these bad people and bad things.

The next day, Harvey returned to the company and had an important morning meeting.

It turned out, he promptly fired the three employees who had previously ridiculed Stephanie the most. Two of them are my people.

I was not surprised that Harvey defended Stephanie so blatantly. After all, they were already sleeping in the same bed.

What surprised me was that he actually brought Stephanie to attend the family dinner in the evening.

Stephanie even took advantage of the business trip to bring a lot of gifts for my motherinlaw, all of which were good things for health.

She really catered to her preferences and made my motherinlaw very happy.

After seeing me arrive, my motherinlaw asked someone to invite my fatherinlaw and Harvey who were talking in the study and prepare for the banquet.

Then, she took my hand and started chattering about some trivial things.

However, as Harvey came to the restaurant, he glanced at me slightly and then looked away.

Stephanie followed him and sat next to him, the seat I usually sat in.

Actually, Harvey was stunned for a moment, but he did not object.

So, it angered me so much. After all, we had not divorced yet and were still a legal couple.

His behavior, constantly keeping a female secretary by his side and even daring to bring her into our home, taking the position that rightfully belonged to me, was utterly unacceptable.

It was definitely a slap in my face. But the secret joy on Stephanie 's face was obvious.

So, I was amused by this funny scene.

My motherinlaw pulled me, patted her other side and said with a kind smile, “Come, sit here. “Today I made you a fish and chicken soup. You must try it. It's so delicious.”

My motherinlaw was my mother's best friend and had always been very nice to me. That was why, I could not help feeling a little sad when I was about to talk divorce.

But I had no choice. It was not my fault who made the relationship come to an end.

I held my motherinlaw's hand and patted the back of her hand, “Mom, I won't be attending the dinner tonight. I'm here because I have something very important to say.”

In an instant, my motherinlaw's smile froze on her face, “Is it can't be discussed after dinner, Claudine?”

I shook my head, turned to look at Harvey and said what I had been holding in my heart for many days.

“Dad, Mom, I want to divorce Harvey.”

As soon as the words fell, the whole restaurant fell silent. Even the aroma of the meal floating in the air suddenly became heavy.

My fatherinlaw looked at me in disbelief and muttered, “Claudine, divorce is no joke, especially for you and Harvey. There are too many issues involved.”

“Yes, Claudine, haven't you always had a good relationship? Why is this happening?” his mother asked in disbelief.

Before I could answer, Harvey slammed the table and stood up, his cold face finally showed some emotion.

"Claudine, have you had enough of causing trouble? Just because I gave Stephanie a dress, you keep arguing and even threaten divorce. Have you not reflected on your actions at all in all these days?”

My fatherinlaw also slammed the table. “Shut up, Harvey!”

He then looked at me and said, “Claudine, go ahead.”

“Harvey, I was going to give you some dignity, but since you don't want it, don't blame me for being rude.”

I threw the stack of photos and the USB drive on the table, then I said, “Mom, Dad, you can see for yourselves.”

Harvey also snatched the photo, so his face turned pale in an instant.

His hand shook and the photos fell to the ground, revealing the erotic scene of Harvey and Stephanie in bed.

His mother picked up one with trembling hands. Her eyes quickly turned red as she questioned, “Harvey, this... what's going on?”

My fatherinlaw frowned and stared at Harvey with sharp eyes, waiting for his explanation.

Harvey's forehead was bulging with veins and his eyes were full of anger as he explained, “Claudine, I love you and respect you, but why did you create these fake photos to frame me?

“You don't want to have a relationship with me for so many years? Do you really want to divorce me?”

I laughed out of anger, “I framed you?

“If you really think that the photos are fake, then take a look at the videos on this USB. Do you dare to watch it with your parents?

“And I, Claudine Rodrigo, have always been an honest person. Even if I want to divorce you, there is no need to resort to such despicable means.”

Hearing my explanation, his father was so angry that his face was tense and he slammed the dining table. “Harvey, you must give a reasonable explanation.”

“Dad, don't you know what kind of person I am? Claudine and I had some disagreements before, so I will never do anything to let her down.”

Harvey seemed to have thought of something and turned to face Stephanie who was huddled together.

He pointed at a pile of photos on the ground, his eyes fierce and squeezed out words from between his teeth, “What's up with these photos? We didn't do anything, so why did this kind of photo appear?”